Brad Smith (R.T. Smith's son) just sent a message regarding Carl Brown. I don't think he will mind if I copy it here for you all to read:

"Thank you, Kimberly and everyone else who made the 72nd AVG Flying Tigers reunion such a grand success. It was great seeing Chuck, Frank and Ed and everyone else.

On the way home, I stopped by to see Carl Brown. We had a very nice visit and animated conversation as he recalled his time as a dive-bomber pilot aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Saratoga. While with the AVG, Carl described flying night patrol, participating in the AVG's first combat on December 20, 1941, and the mission in the Salween River Gorge, when he recalled Bob Little's P-40 exploding 40 feet from his wing. He told a number of ribald jokes and stories that made me chuckle. It was a very enjoyable afternoon. Carl lives alone and with the help of a walker is very much ambulatory. I took the photograph of Carl below and attached that I thought you might enjoy seeing."

Dr. Brown's telephone has been disconnected, or is now an unlisted number. However, you can write to him in Corcoran, CA.

Yes, he clearly remembers the loss of Bob Little. He felt that either a bomb hung up or detonated early....blowing the wing off Bob Little's P-40E. Bob Little can be seen in Claire Booth Luce's famous color photos of the Flying Tigers around their P-40.

This was a major rallying point for Americans during 1942....when there was little good news coming from the warfronts around the world.

Hello AVG Forum members. I am reposting a response dated May 23, 2011 from Julia Brown, one of the daughters of Dr. Carl K. Brown, AVG pilot of the 1st Squadron. This post was originally posted to the thread on Erik Shilling and may not have been seen by those of you with special interest in our last living AVG pilot....Carl Kice Brown.

We are indeed grateful to Julia for posting this info on her father. We want to thank Lydia Rossi for beginning this thread on Carl. Also due special recognition and thanks is Brad Smith, son of 3rd Sqdn ace pilot R.T. Smith. Brad has visited with Carl Brown and his posting is a very special link to provide a current photo and update us on Carl's health and status. He is now 98 years old.

THANK YOU ALL for keeping us in touch with Dr. Carl K. Brown, AVG pilot. While he cannot attend our upcoming 75th Anniversary Reunion in Atlanta, GA Carl Brown and his family will certainly be in our thoughts as the AVG meets.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --
My name is Julia Brown. I'm one of 3 daughters of Carl K. Brown. There
are 6 children all alive and well. My dad is an "original" Flying
Tiger. He is living in California and he is 93 years old. I read
somewhere that throughout the years the Flying Tiger's have been called
all kinds of silly names like misfits, on and on.... for the record my
father was in his senior year of college studying engineering when
called to war. He went into the Navy, then volunteered as a Flying
Tiger/pilot. After the war he went to USC medical school. Became a Dr.
practiced medicine until he was in his 80's. While practicing medicine
he went to law school earned his JD. Today he spends his time mostly
reading. He's happy to share his knowledge and experience of war etc.
with people who have an interest.

Holy Schmoley, he doesn't sound like any kind of misfit I've ever known. This is of course sarcasm. Whenever I meet someone and we talk about the AVG and they talk about the being misfits, I do my best to straighten that out as politely as I can. There may have been a few misfits but either they quit early or Chennault bounced them. As for Carl Brown, I never knew what he did after the AVG. That's incredible.

-----------------------Sometimes a handful of patience is worth more than a truckload of brains. Author unknown. Found in a fortune cookie and that's the honest truth.